Antonio Berardi’s stated theme for Spring was “distressed glamour.” He got at it best at his show this morning via his use of transparency and his lacing and fringe. The strongest look, by far, was a knit dress with a leotard-like top and a full skirt in a cobweb weave; it was a bit of a shame he didn’t explore that idea further. But there were other similar, nearly as nice touches, such as the pieces composed in part of a knit done out of shiny, filament-fine yarn or window-paned in sheer chiffon. Meanwhile, the most focused part of this collection were the looks in black crepe that featured skin-winking lacing that spilled out in fringe.

Much of the action here was going on in the back of these looks. Many of Berardi’s diaphanous dresses and skirts came with long trains, and a number of jackets tailored through the front opened up in back in soft pleats. There were also evening coats with internal crystal straps that allowed the coats to be slung off the shoulders like a backpack, a design nicked from activewear. That wasn’t a bad idea, but it was one of several in this show that didn’t seem fully thought through, certainly not in relation to the collection as a whole. Berardi’s intention throughout seemed to be to mix baroque formality with undone-looking or off-kilter shapes. There was an appealing collection hiding somewhere inside this busy outing, but overall it suffered from a too much of muchness.